By ANNE GREGORY
Media Relations, Manchester University

Build creativity and innovation at Manchester University’s LEGO Camp this summer. The North Manchester campus will host sessions June 22-26.

The morning sessions are 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. for students in grades one to three, and the afternoon sessions are 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for students in grades four through six.

The camp will be taught by Ryan Adams, who graduated from Manchester in 2011 with a degree in elementary education.

Created in the 1940s, LEGO bricks have gained immense popularity and are used as educational tools in classrooms around the world. They harness a child’s problem-solving, teamwork, reasoning and motor skills while building patience and persistence. They teach children to think three-dimensionally, all while having fun.

Campers at the MU Science Center will learn basic principles of science, technology, engineering and math as they build both simple and motorized structures – construction machines, merry-go-rounds, tower cranes and catapults. They will race race cars they build themselves.

“We will also create a car that has a sail and is powered by wind,” Adams said.

“Every day will start off with a small lesson about a simple machine, such as a gear, pulley, or wheel and axle,” he said. “The campers will also learn the importance of teamwork since they have to work with partners daily.”

There are no limits or rules to what they can build; each student will have the freedom to explore his or her individual creativity.

The registration fee includes using LEGO kits throughout the week, and each participant will receive a T-shirt.

The cost is $99 per camper. Register by June 12.